The ‘First Chef of Belgium’ competition takes place every year, organized by the non-profit organization Club Prosper Montagné. Five finalists competed against each other in the final that took place this year during the first day of Horeca Expo in Ghent.
READ ALSO. Sous chef of Hof van Cleve is the first female finalist of a renowned cooking competition in more than 15 years: “Extremely happy, but it also brings a lot of pressure”
During the final on Sunday afternoon, the chefs had to prepare a starter with squid, algae flan and a lobster vinaigrette. This was followed by Belgian pork loin with stuffed cabbage and a sauce of your choice as a main course. Crepe soufflée with citrus fruits was served for dessert.
The finalists were selected earlier this year based on a recipe with aged pork loin and cabbage. In addition to De Smet, Florian De Ruyck (Alain Bianchin, Christus-Eik), Neal Descheemaecker (Boury, Roeselare), Cédric Sorton (Oh, Sint-Idesbald) and Jeroen Waterloos (Mbistro, Nieuwpoort) also competed for the title.
Ultimately, Laurence De Smet won the title of ‘First Chef of Belgium’. She is the first woman to do so. “It has been since 2011 that a woman was in the final,” says Yves Panneels of Club Prosper Montagné. “It has also been a long time since a woman submitted a file.”
“Practiced many Sundays”
Since the beginning of this year, Laurence De Smet has been working as a sous chef in the two-star restaurant Hof van Cleve in Kruisem. “We have had two months of preparation,” says De Smet. “We practiced many Sundays together with my kitchen commis Marcus Van Wonterghem.”
The prize for ‘best commis’ also went to a woman. There was the winner Willemijn Veldeman, who assisted Neal Descheemaecker, sous chef of three-star restaurant Boury in Roeselare, during the competition.
The ‘First Chef of Belgium’ competition is organized by Club Prosper Montagné and has been recognized as a mastery competition since 2009. Club Prosper Montagné is a non-profit organization founded in 1952. The foundation tries to bring the biggest names in the culinary world into contact with each other and supports young talented professionals to increase the image of Belgian gastronomy. In particular, home-grown products are highlighted.
Margaux Balemans from Sangliers des Ardennes is the best sommelier in Belgium
Margaux Balemans, the sommelier of star restaurant Sangliers des Ardennes in Durbuy, has been named the Best Sommelier in Belgium 2024. The Belgian Sommeliers Guild announced this on Sunday at Horeca Expo in Ghent.
Balemans got it from Vincent Pharazijn from the restaurant De Jonkman (Bruges) and Elizio Masson from Hof van Cleve (Kruisem). Earlier this year, the 24-year-old sommelier won the ‘Young Sommelier Award of Excellence’. She graduated as a sommelier from Hotelschool Ter Groene Poorte in Bruges.
A total of ten candidates took part. After theoretical and practical tests, three finalists were selected. Last year, Balemans narrowly missed out on first place. This year she will be crowned winner and will receive the title “Best Sommelier of Belgium”. The competition was organized by the Belgian Sommeliers Guild at Horeca Expo in Ghent.
The title ‘Best Sommelier of Belgium’ is officially protected from this year and is the only title that is recognized both in Belgium and internationally. “As a professional organization, we naturally want to draw attention to our beautiful profession through this competition. There is, however, the realization that we have a shortage profession and that we want to put the profession in a positive spotlight with an organization like this.”
A sommelier can only win the prize once in his or her career. The winner can also compete for selection for the European and World Sommelier Championships of ASI (Association Sommeliers International).
